William mason



( No Model.)

w, MASON, MEANS FOR SBPARABLY ATTAOHING GUN BARRBLS'TO THE STOCKS.

Patented D6 56, 1892.

311: Noam; Fnsns 00.. mmou'mo" WASH UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VILLIAM MASON, OF NEYV HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE \VINCHESTERREPEATIN G ARMS COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

MEANS FOR SEPARABLY ATTACHING GUN-BARRELS TO THE STOCKS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0.48'7,489, dated December6, 1892.

Serial 110- 427,621. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Beit known that I,\VILLIAM MASON, of New Haven, in the county of NewHaven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new Improvement inFirearms, (Case D;) and I do hereby declare the following, when taken inconnection with accompanying drawings and the letters of referencemarked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same,and which said drawings constitute part of this specification, andrepresent, in

Figure 1, a side view of so much of th arm as necessary to illustratethe invention; Fig. 2, a top view of the same; Fig. 3, an under sideview of the same; Fig. 4, a vertical section of the rear part of thereceiver, showing the vertical groove by which the two parts areconnected; Fig. 5, a front end view of the rear part of the receiver;Fig. 6, a side view of the forward part of the receiver detached;Fig.7,a rear end view of the forward part-of the receiver; Fig. 8, aside view of the receiver, showing the hub portion of the engagingJe verin vertical longitudinal section, the parts in the home position; Fig.9, the same as Fig. 8, showing the lever as turned to start the twoparts for their separation, as also to show the position of the twoparts when the lever commences its operation for drawing the two partstogether; Fig. 10, a transverse section cutting on line as 00 of Fig. 1.

This invention relates to an improvement in firearms, the inventionhaving for its object a construction of the arm whereby the barrelpostion may be readily separated from the receiver portion of the arm tocontract the length of the arm for convenience in packing ortransportation; and it consists in the construction, as hereinafterdescribed, and particularly recited in the claims.

A represents'the rear portion of the receiver, which is adapted forattachment to the stock B in the usual manner. This rear portion carriesas a part of itself the two sides C C, which extend forward, so as toform the recess for the mechanism of the arm, and the two sides areconnected across at their front end by a bridge D, but open at thebottom. (See Figs. 3 and 5.)

E represents the forward part of the receiver, which carries the barrelF, the barrel opening to the rearward through the part E ,into therecess in the receiver, and the maga- -zine G is arranged beneath thebarrel, opening also at the rear through the part E into the recess inthe receiver in the usual manner. (See Fig. 7.) The part E has anextension'upon its rear side adapted to set into the rear part of thereceiver between the two sides and at their forward end the part Ehaving a shoulder H, (see Fig. 6,) which abuts against the forward endof the two sides, and so that the exposed part E of the forward part ofthe receiver when joined to the rear portion appears as a continuationof that rear portion, as seen in Figs. 1 and 2. The rear projection ofthe forward part of the receiver is constructed with vertical ribs I onits sides, preferably of dovetail shape or undercut, as seen in Fig. 3,and the sides of the receiver are -constructed with correspondinggrooves J, into which the ribs I may pass as the forward part of thereceiver is introduced into the rear part from the under side upward.This rib engages the two parts, so as to prevent longitudinal movementof the one independent of the other, and securely holds themsubstantially as firm as if the forward part of the receiver were madeintegral with the rear part.

The part E of the receiver may be made integral with the barrel orattached thereto and the rear end of the forward part of the receiverforms the forward end of the recess in the receiver, making the receiversubstantially the same as it would he were the part E made integral withthe rear portion of the receiver. ing, as seen in Fig. 6, and thegrooves of corresponding shape, as seen in Fig. 4, so that as the twoparts are set together the wedging shape will serve to draw theshoulders of the part E hard against the forward ends of the other partof the receiver, as seen in Figs. 1 and 2, so as to make a close andfirm joint between the two.

As a means for mechanically drawing the two parts to their homeposition, as well as to secure them together in that position, a lever Kis hung upon one side of the part E upon a pivot L, as seen in Fig. 6,and so as to swing in a vertical plane. Preferably a like lever isarranged upon each side, as seen in Fig. 2. The forward projection ofthe lever K serves as a handle by which the lever may be con- The ribs Iare made slightly wedgveniently turned from the position in Fig. 1 tothat seen in broken lines, same figure, also as from the position inFig. 8 to that seen in Fig. 6 and return. The lever is constructed witha nose or projection M upon the side of the hub opposite the handleportion and the other part of the receiver is constructed with a notchN, corresponding tothe said nose M- ot the lever and with which thatnose is adapted to engage when the lever is turned. W on the lever isturned downward,as seen in F gs. t3 and 9, they nose M of the lever isout of the line of the front face of the rear part of the receiver andso that the forward part of the receiver,with the barrel and whateveritcarries, may be withdrawn and readily separated. When the partsareztogether and the lever turned up, as seen in Fig. 8, the two partsof the receiver are in their home position, with the nose M of the doginterlocked with the notch N of the rear part of the receiver. Now withthe parts in this home position, as seen in Fig. 8, if the lever K beturned down, as seen in Fig. 9, the nose of the dog will operate as acam between the rear and forward parts of the receiver and so as toforce the rear part upward from the forward portion, as represented'inFig. 9. This starts the two parts from their home position, and so as toso far loosen them that they may be readily separated. Then when the twoparts are again set together, as seen in Fig. 9, the return of the leverK will cause the nose M of the lever to engage the notch N in the otherpart of the receiver, and so that the return of the lever to its homeposition, as seen in Fig. 8, will draw the two parts of the receivertogether into their home position, as also represented in Fig. 8.

The employment of the two levers, which are alike in construction, is aconvenience; but one is all that is necessary for the operation of thearm.

To secure the lever in its locking position, it is provided with aconical-nosed spring-bolt l0, (see Fig. 10,) which is adapted to engagea corresponding notch P in the part of the receiver to which the leveris attached and so as to yieldingly hold the lever in that position, butyield to a force applied to the lever sbuilificient to overcome thepower of the spring- I o t.

The lovers are represented as applied to the forward part of thereceiver; but it will be evident that they may be as readily applied tothe rear part and the notches for the engagement of the nose of thelever made in the forward part. This reversal of the position of thelever will be too apparent to require illustration.

While preferring the arrangement of the levers described forinterlocking the two parts ofthe receiver, other means maybe employedfor securing the two parts togetheras, for illustration, a screw may beintroduced through the one part into the other, as represented in brokenlines, Fig. 1.

It will be understood that the grooves may be made on the forward partand the ribs on the rear part instead of vice versa, as shown, amodification too apparent to require illustration, and While preferringto make the ribs and grooves of undercut or dovetail shape such undercutor dovetail is not essential to the invention.

I claim-- 1. In a firearm, a receiver made in two parts, the rear partadapted for attachment to the stock and carrying the two sides of thereceiver, the two sides extending forward to form the recess to receivethe mechanism, the sides connected across the top at their forward end,but open from the bottom, the other or forward part of the receivercarrying the barrel and adapted to enter between the two sides at theforward end and from below, the inner surface of the two sides and thecorresponding surface of the forward part constructed the one withvertical ribs and the other with corresponding grooves, the forward partof the receiver constructed with shoulders adapted to abut against theforward end of the two sides of the receiver, and a locking device forengaging the two parts when in their home position, substantially asdescribed.

2 In a firearm, a receiver composed of two parts, the rear part adaptedfor attachment to the stock and 4 carrying the two sides, the sidesprojecting forward to form the recess for the mechanism of the arm, openat the forward end and from the bottom, but connected across the top,the second or forward part of the receiver, adapted to carry or made asa part of the barrel, the forward part constructed to pass into the rearpart from below and constructed with a shoulder to abut against theforward ends of the sides of the receiver, the inner surface of the twosides and the corresponding surface of the forward part constructed theone with vertical ribs and the other with corresponding vertical groovesto engage with each other as the forward part is introduced from theunder side of the receiver with a lever hung upon the outer side of onepart and so as to swing in a vertical plane, the lever forming a handleby which it may be conveniently turned upon its pivot and constructedwith a projecting nose on the hub, the other part of the receiverconstructed with a notch corresponding to said nose of the lever, thenose of the lever and the said notch adapted to engage as the two partsapproach their home position and by means of which the two parts may beforced to their home position, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

\VILLIAM MASON.

lVitnesses:

DANIEL H. VEADER, A. W. EARLE.

